Enhancement of mass transfer through convective symmetry breaking in photoabsorptive concentration gratings in thin ferrofluid layers

D. Zablotsky - E. Blūms

Institute of Physics, University of Latvia, Salaspils-1, LV-2169, Latvia

Abstract
The emergence of magnetic microconvection is possible within concentration microstructures formed by photoabsorption and thermodiffusion in magnetic dispersions. The spontaneous appearance of laterally connected circulation within the periodic concentration grating in thin layer of ferrofluid is described by a few-mode Lorentz-type model for parallel orientation of the applied field. The consequent enhancement of mass transfer by magnetoadvection causes the increase of the effective coefficient of magnetodiffusion and the decrease of the effective coefficient of magnetic thermodiffusion. Figs 2, Refs 6.